Former TD Emmet Stagg remembered as ‘a man who never forgot where he was from’

FORMER Labour TD and Hollymount native, Emmet Stagg was a man who never forgot where he came from and looked out for the interests of his native county when in government.

That is the opinion of local county councillor Patsy O’Brien who paid tribute to the politician, Stagg who passed away at the age of 79 on St Patrick’s Day.

A native of Broomfield, Hollymount, Emmet Stagg served as a Labour party TD for Kildare and Kildare North from 1987 to 2016, and served as a Minister of State in two separate departments between 1993 and 1997 when Labour were in government.

Sociable person

ROBEEN-based councillor Patsy O’Brien said there was great sadness in the Hollymount area when news spread of his death on St Patrick’s Day. He said he had enjoyed speaking to Mr Stagg when he’d meet him on his visits to Hollymount and stated he had done a lot for Mayo while he was a minister.

“I knew Emmet for years and years and he was a man who never forgot where he was from. He was very instrumental when he served as a minister in helping groups from Mayo on different things, and he met a lot of delegations from Mayo,” Cllr O’Brien told The Mayo News.

“He came down here every August for the world trout fishing on Lough Mask, and I would speak to him several times when we’d cross paths during the summer. He was a great guy, a real sociable person who took a keen interest in local politics.

“He was a great man to get elected up in Kildare and hold that seat for as long as he did. He was a victim of the wallop Labour got in 2016 after they went into government with Fine Gael. He was a TD for 29 years… he did a lot for the people during that time. He was an exceptionally hard working TD.

“He will be sadly missed by the community here in Hollymount where he had a lot of friends. He never lost his rural spur.”

Close friend

EMMET Stagg was the son for Henry and Mary Stagg and one of 13 siblings. One of his brothers was former IRA hunger striker, Frank Stagg, who died after 62 days refusing food in Wakefield Prison in England.

Stagg was regarded as one of the left-leaning members of the Labour Party during the 1980s alongside current President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, who said he ‘embodied the spirit of the Labour Party in its best sense’.

“He was one of the most hardworking TDs that I can remember in my time in Dáil Éireann,” President Higgins said in his tribute to his former party member and friend,” President Higgins stated.

“Indeed, no one could keep up with the pace at which Emmet worked for his constituents during his 29 years of unbroken service as a TD from 1987 to 2016.

“This spirit was also represented in the principled stances which Emmet took on so many important policy matters for which he was a great, courageous and brave campaigner. This included his long-term support for Irish people living in the UK. It was our practice over the years to visit the Irish centres in Britain in December.

“Emmet was a deeply committed Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal, probably one of the best-informed politicians on the importance of public and social housing.

“It was a particular privilege for me to share an office with Emmet for a number of the years in which I served in the Dáil. One of the things which Emmet often shared with us was his love of gardening. It was always one of the great surprises when Emmet would bring in to those sharing his office the produce of his garden in Straffan, or to hear of his fishing expeditions in his beloved Mayo.

“I will remember Emmet as one of my closest friends in Leinster House, he will be deeply missed. May I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Mary, his children Gillian and Henry, and to all his family, colleagues and many friends. Síocháin síoraí dá anam lách uasal.”

Kind and considerate

CURRENT Labour leader, Ivana Bacik also paid tribute to ‘our friend and colleague Emmet Stagg on his passing’.

“Throughout his time in Labour politics he played a central role in the Party and in the internal debates within it. During the 1980s as a significant voice on the left of the Party he articulated positions often in confrontation with the leadership,” she said.

“He was also a great mentor to me when I first joined the Party as a student in the late 1980s and was always very supportive of Labour Youth within the Party. Canvassing in Kildare with Emmet was a really positive experience – he was hugely popular in his community and consistently championed the needs of those facing inequality and disadvantage.

“Emmet was a pillar of Labour politics, both in Leinster House, and in Kildare, and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was kind and considerate, and maintained a keen interest in Labour politics even after leaving the Dáil.

“Those of us who knew him as a friend and supportive mentor over many years are particularly saddened by the news of his passing. Outside of politics he also had a keen interest in gardening and fishing, and regaled us all over the years with many stories.”

Former Labour Westport town councillor Keith Martin also paid tribute to Emmet Stagg on Facebook who described him as being ‘funny and good craic, especially out on canvass’.

“He loved Mayo and visited often and was a great supporter of the Mayo branch of Labour,” he said.

Mr Stagg is survived by his wife, Mary, son, Henry and daughter, Gillian; grandchildren, Nessa and Cara; brothers, Seán and George; sisters, Maureen, Brid, Siobhán and Martha.

He will repose at Oliver Reilly’s Funeral Home, Leinster St, Maynooth, today (Wednesday), March 20, from 4pm to 8pm. Removal on Thursday, March 21, at 11am to arrive at St Brigid’s Church, Straffan, for 12 noon funeral Mass, followed by burial in Straffan Cemetery.